US2284255A - Choke - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 26, 1942 Uir star ortica CHOKE Frank W. Baureschmidt, 'Galena Park, Tex., as-y signor to Larsen-Bolos Tool Company, Incorporated, Houston, Tex.

application August 19, 1939, serial No'. 299,975'

11 c1aims. (c1. 259-4)V with each other, whereby the gas absorbs a large quantity of oil.

A further object of the invention is to provide animproved choke, wherein the well stream is forced to flow at auniform rate and pressure, whereby turbulence within the producing formation is substantially eliminated, and any salt water present in said formation is allowed to reach a quiescent state thereby preventing said Vsalt water from flowing up the well bore.

globules of the gas and oilV and repeating this operation so that the gas absorbs a large portion of the oil particles and an atomized oil'and gas iluid results.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device, wherein the ow of the fluid `through said device is such that the gas will be retarded, and the oil will mix more freely there-A with, thereby resulting in reduction in the gas free and an increase in oil in the mixture which results.

An important object of the invention is to provide an improved choke which is so constructed and has passages therein of suiiicient diameter as to allow oil to flow therethrough in adequate quantities, and'at the 'saine time offers the required resistance to impede the ilow of gas through the said choke and thereby create a back pressure on the producing formation and allow a liquid level to be built up within the well bore.

A still further object of the invention :is to provide an improved choke, wherein a well iiuid is caused to iiow in counter-current, concentric, upwardly, spiral paths, which results in two opposed upwardly directed strearns, whereby the action of each stream is` to impede or. cushion the flow of the other' stream, thereby choking back the gas into the well formation.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention. Y

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specication and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in

which an example of the invention isi shown, and

wherein: g

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a device constructed in accordance with the invention. 1 Y v Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 2'-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal' cross sectional ViewY taken on the line 3 3V of Figure 1.

Figure 4 isa horizontal cross sectional viewtaken on the line 4 4! of Figure l,

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 1. l Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of another form of the invention'.

The numeral I0 designates al choke which may be connected in a string of tubing, as is the usual .practice in the cil industries, lor may lie positionjed in any suitablelocation when or where lchoke is desired. The choke includes a tubular sleeve cr housing .il which.. has its lupper and lowerV ends open and internally screw-threaded. A box l2 is in screw-threaded engagement with the upper end of the sleeveand has its upper end internally lscrew-threaded, so that itmay be attached to a string of tubing (notshown). Depending from its lower end', below the externally screw-threaded opening, is a collar i3. Abutting the lower edge of the collar is a split circular block or body I4, whichsnugly engages the inner Walls of the sleeve l I. The numeral I5 designates `the'upper portion of the block, and the numeral i6 the lower portion. Thetwo portions of the block have hemispheres milled out in their abutting faces to provide concaved areas so as to form a central chamber il in the body when the two faces are in contact. The. portion I5 is provided with a plurality of inclined passages i8 which communicate between the bore off the box i2 and the chamber l7','said passages entering the chamber tangentiallyaround the concavedarea. The portion ,i5 of 'the block Hij has a central recess I9 on its lower'exposed end. A plurality of inclined'passages 23 are also provided'in the portion IE andare so arranged thatv they lie in the same radius from the center of said block but are so inclined that the discharge therefrom will be directed against the concaved Varea of theupper portion of chamber I?. This discharge is inv, tended to strike the concave area above the elevation of the-lower ends of the passages i8. It is pointed out that uid passing upwardly must A split circular block 2| is disposed belowV ranged as to lie in a circle about the verticalVlr axis ofthe block. Said passages extend from,

the upper surface of the portion 22 and have their ,lower ends communicating tangentially Y with the chamber- 24. The upper surface of the portion 22 is provided with acentral recess 26, while the lower portion 23 of the block 2| is elongated and has its lower portion externally screwthreaded, so as to engage within the'lower end of thesleeve II. The lowerend of the portion softhat a screen`2'l (not shown) or any other suitable structure may be attached thereto.' A central axial opening 28 is provided in the portion 23 extends'below the lower edge of the sleeve Il,

23l of the block 2| fand communicates with 'the chamber 24, said opening liavingfits lower portion 29 enlarged and internally screw-threaded, so

that a suitable ow beanv 30 may engage therein. t -Said bean is provided with the usual axial opening 3| therein. Confined between the portionj I6 of the block I4, and the-portion 22 of the block 2 I, is an elongate rod 32 which has its upper end engaging in the recess I9 of the portion I6 and its lower end engaging within the recess 2S of the portion 22. f

A helical spring 33 slidably engages around the rod 32 and is conned between the blocks I4 and 2|. It is pointed out that said spring is wound in a clock-wise direction. It is pointedout that tion of the exposed openings ofthe passages 25 on the upper surface of the portion 22. Another helical spring34, which is wound in a counterclock-wise direction, slidably engages around the spring 33 and also slidably engages the inner wall of the sleeve II. The spring 34 is also confined between the blocks I4 and 2|. The lower convolutions of the springs 33 and 34 havev their adjacent faces cut away so as Ato provide a ow space therebetweenl and form an annular `opening 35 (Figure 5), which permits fluid to flow upwardly from the passages 25 and continue its flow out into the'spacesbetween convolutions between the springs.v Thus, `a portion of .said fluid will enter thev spaces between the convoluthe owing gas. As will be noted in the drawing, the spaces between the convolutions of the springs 33 and 34 vare of substantial cross-sections and depend on the counter-current flow of the split streams to furnish the resistance necessary to choke back the gas.

In operation the choke I0 is' set within the well bore in the usual manner. Fluid containing gas and oil will flow up through the opening 3| of the bean 30, obviously being retarded by said opening, and pass into the opening 28 from where it will flow into the chamber 24, thereby causing the uid to be'agitated. It is pointed out that after the fluid has been flowing through vthe device for a period of time, the chamber 24 may or may not acquire and retain a constant liquid level depending on the rate of flow. Thus, uid flowing into said device through the opening 28 must pass through the chamber 24 and the liquid therein, whereby oil particles present will be broken up and intermixed or atomized in the gas of the fluid. The mixture passes fromthe chamber'24, up through the passages 25, and through the opening 35 between the two springs. The fluid then continues its flow up through the springs'33 and 34,passing along the convolutions of said springs, as has been explained hereinbefore to effect a further admixing. When said fluid has reached the top of the springs, it will enter the passages 20 andthe chamber II, where 'it willagain be agitated. It then passes from the chamber II, to the passages I8, to the bore of the lower outer end of the spring overlays a portions of the outer spring 34 and follow-the same spaces of the outer spring and the spaces of the e inner spring intersectV a numberof times in their upward course. Thus, the two streams flowing upwardly through'the spaces of the two springs will repeatedly contact each other while flowing counter-currently, thereby allowing each stream to oppose the flowl of the other stream. This action on the part of the two streams causes theV ow to be impededand increases the resistance the choke offers-to the well stream, whereby the choke tends to restrain the Ilow of gas fromthe formation while compelling the oil to mix with' ment.

In operation the device operates in an identical l the boxV I2, and up through the well tubing. .It is pointed out that the chamber I'I will be full of fluid in a similar manner as chamber 24, and, obviously, uid passing therethrough will be submitted to an atomized Vaction,whereby oil present' and globules vwill be carried in the gaseous phase. Y

After the device has been set in the well bore for avperiod of time, it will tend to build up a higher liquid level within said formation by reason of its choking and condensing action. Where the gas and oil are atomized a solid liquid column is not formed above the device and as a result the flow from the well 'is not retarded and the gas therefore carries a larger percentage of 'oil from the well so that the gas/oil ratio is reduced.

In Figure 6 there is shown a modified or another form of the invention. The 'construction of this form is identical to that shownin Figure 1, with the exception of the springs 33 and34 and the blocks I4 andV 2| lBlock I4 is replaced in e the modified formrby a block 42, which includes u1011er and lower portions 43 and 44 respectively. The upper portion' 43 is identical to the portion I5 of the block |4.Q The lower portion 44 is formed with hemispheres cut in its upper and lower surfaces, the upper hemisphere being in vertical alinement with' the hemisphere formed in the portion 43, thereby completing the spherical chamber I1. An actual passage 45 communi- Cates between the upper and lower hemispheres in the portion 44. VA block 46 is identical to the block 2| shown in the rst form. A liner 4'I is confined between the blocks 42 and 45 and slidable within the sleeve 40. Said liner is provided with a large central opening 48. A helical guideway 49 is slidable within said opening and surrounds an actual shaft 5I). Said guideway is suitably secured to said shaft and to said liner, thereby being securely held against any movemanner as `the device shown in Figure 1. y Fluid would pass up through the bean, into the lower spherical chamber, and through the passages, and contact the exposed surfaces of the helical guide, where it would follow the paths of said guide; and as can be seen, said fluid will be whirled about the shaft 50. It would then strike the hemisphere located in the lower surface of the portion 44 of the block 42 from where it would pass upwardly through the opening 45 and the spherical chamber l1, and through the passages oi the portion 43, out into the bore of the tubing. In this particular structure, the ow of fluid will not be retarded to the extent that-the fluid would in the first form. It has been found desirable to use this form on lower pressure'y wellswhere the gas orroil ratio lis small. Y

Various changes, alterations and modifications 6. A choke including, a body having a cham- Y ber therein, said chamber being provided with a concave upper end, said body having a restricted inlet passage leading to the lower portion of said Y chamber, whereby a well uid may be admitted may be made in the size, shape and arrangement K of the herein described elements withinthevscope of the appended claims.

What I claim andV desire to secure by VLetters Patent is:

l. A choke including,la tubular body, an insertable plug located near the upper end of said body having ilow passages therein and a central chamber communicating with said passages, a plug located near the lower end of said body having a plurality of flow passages therein said plug being provided with a central spherical chamber communicating with said flow passages, and means conned between the said plugs for whirling and agitating a fluid passing therethrough.

2. A choke including, a tubular body, an insertable plug located near the upper end of said body having flow passages therein and a central chamber communicating with said passages, a plug located near the lower end of said body having a plurality of flow passages therein said plug being provided with a central spherical chamber communicating with said flow passages, and

means disposed in the body intermediate the vretarding the flow of the well stream through the choke whereby the streamsare agitated and admixed so that gas and solution are released.

3. A choke for wells including, a body having a chamber therein, said chamber being provided with a concave upper end, said body having a restricted inlet passage leading to the lower portion of said chamber, whereby a well fluid admitted to said chamber will be deected and agi-A tated therein by engaging the concave end and converting the oil to the gaseous phase, said bodyV having a restricted outlet leading from an area below the upper portion of said chamber for re- Y tarding the escape of uids from said chamber, whereby the ratio of oil to gas is increased.

4. A choke including, a housing, a plurality of spaced bodies each having ar chamber therein, each chamber being provided with a concave upper end, each of said bodies having a restricted inlet passage leading to the lower portion of the chamber therein, whereby a well uid may be admitted to said chamber and agitated therein, each of said bodies having a restricted outlet leading from the upper portion of said chamber for releasing the escape of fluids from said chamber, whereby the ratio of oil to gas is increased.

5. A choke including, a body having a chamber therein, said chamber being provided with a concave upper end, said body having a restricted inlet passage leading to the lower portion of said chamber, whereby a well iluid. may be admitted said area, and outlet passages from said cham-- to said chamber and agitated therein, said body having a plurality of restricted outlets leading from the concave portion of said chamber for releasing the escape of uids from said chamber, whereby the ratio of oil to gas is increased, and another agitating means provided below said body.

7. A choke having a chamber therein, Veach chamber being provided with a concave upperend, each of said bodies having a restricted inlet passage leading to the lower portion of the chamberv therein,

whereby a well iluid may be admitted to said4 chamberand agitated therein for mixing the oil into the gaseous phase, each of said bodies hav- 8. A device for controlling the gas-oil ratio of the ilow from a well comprising a housing, an entry choke therein, a barrier in said housing, an atomizing chamber in said barrier, a plurality of entry passages in said barrier leading to sai-dv chamber, a plurality of passages leading from j said chamber on thru said barrier, said first and V v second passages being out of alignment to effect a turbulence in said chamber.

9. A device for controlling the gas-oil ratio of the iiow from a well comprising a housing, an

entry choke therein, a barrier in said housing, an atomizing chamber in saidbarrier, a plurality Y of entry passages in said barrier leading to said chamber, a plurality of passages leading from said chamber on thru Said barrier, said first and second passages being out of alignment to eiect a turbulence in said chamber, said sets of passages being inclined relative to the axis of said housing. l

l0. In a well flowing device having a housing' means therein to atomize the oil and the gas being produced so that the vapor resulting therefrom will more readily ilow from the well at a lower gas-oil ratio,- said means including a chamber having a concave area therein, inlet passages Y to said chamber directed to'discharge against ber leading from said area at a location below the elevation which receives the discharge of i the inlet passages.

' l1. The combination in a well of a well tubing having a control device thereon including a. housing, an entry choke therein adjacent the lower end, a barrier in said housing above said choke, an atomizing chamber in said barrier,y entry passages thru the barrier to said cham-` ber, discharge passages from said chamber thru FRANK w. BAUBESCHMIDT.

including, a plurality of bodies each v

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